Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why Not Santorum?
National Review Online ^ | November 9, 2011 | Quin Hillyer

Posted on 11/11/2011 5:08:27 PM PST by Engraved-on-His-hands

Mike Pence, Mitch Daniels, Paul Ryan, Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush — conservatives all year long have been wishing, yearning, even begging people who aren’t in the presidential race to enter the fray and save them from what seems like a frighteningly uninspiring field of candidates. Yet could it be that the sharpest, most accomplished, most campaign-savvy, and most full-spectrum conservative in a quarter-century of presidential contests has been in the contest all along, working harder than anybody, making at least as much intellectual sense as anybody, never blowing a debate, and never failing to stand on principle?

The man of the hour could be that perennial underdog, Rick Santorum.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: bobbyjindal; chrischristie; conservative; jebbush; marcorubio; mikepence; mitchdaniels; paulryan; pennsylvania; prolifer; ricksantorum; santorum; ultraconservative
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 last
To: BobL

There are at least 8 candidates.


61 posted on 11/11/2011 7:35:27 PM PST by truthfreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Engraved-on-His-hands
He's Bush redux; a big government Republican who employs empty social conservatism rhetoric.

I actually think he's the worst choice possible, worse than Romney, if thats possible.

62 posted on 11/11/2011 7:36:39 PM PST by Nonstatist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hinckley buzzard

the leftist media will not allow someone who has been outspoken against homosex to get coverage.


63 posted on 11/11/2011 7:36:51 PM PST by truthfreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Breto

How many wives has Rick had total?

Any ads with Pelosi?

Santorum fought against the gays when few did. Man on dog. A true socon.

Not a tea party candidate. But neither is Newt.

Santorum, though, could be the Huckabee of 2012. Newt definitely is the McCain of 2012.

I think Newt would’ve probably wanted to stay in the single digits a while longer.

Open season on the serial adulterer.


64 posted on 11/11/2011 7:41:36 PM PST by truthfreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Paperdoll

The people said Cain. Then Bachmann. Then Perry. Then Cain again.

The media likes the gays a lot more than Santorum does.

Santorum is not faking his socon creds. He admits he isn’t tea party. Is not limited constitutional government, leave it to the states. But I think I’d rather have Fed Gov forcing Conservative than forcing liberal.

Santorum is a real deal socon. And a good debater. Not likeable, but he might be the most capable of ripping an opponent to shreds in a debate.

He’s working hard in Iowa.


65 posted on 11/11/2011 7:48:05 PM PST by truthfreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: WellyP

The problem is that we’re out of tea party candidates.

When the conservatives are considering Newt, it’s time to look at every single person.

It’s like “oh, is it the 2nd go round time now?”

Here’s how much time we put into Gingrich here when he announced.

Gingrich? Nope. Gingrich and Pelosi. Next.
Santorum? Nope. Toomey race. Next.

But if we’re looking at Gingrich again, be really should look at every single other candidate again that we didn’t take a good, close look at before.

What was wrong with Buddy Roemer? Why isn’t he in the debates? He was the Governor of Louisiana, and for all I know, he has a great record.


66 posted on 11/11/2011 7:55:13 PM PST by truthfreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: RayBob

Did W win Pennsylvania ever? He won Nationally, but did win in Pennsylvania?


67 posted on 11/11/2011 7:57:08 PM PST by truthfreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: RayBob

Did W win Pennsylvania ever? He won Nationally, but did he win in Pennsylvania?


68 posted on 11/11/2011 7:57:27 PM PST by truthfreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: jdsteel

“because many PA conservatives have not forgiven him for backing Specter (sitting R senator at the time) instead of Toomey. That could be easily fixed if Toomey would stand with him and give his full support to Rick.”

Toomey did endorse Santorum in Santorum’s most recent Senate race.

I was disappointed in Santorum myself for not endorsing Toomey, until I found out why:

“Specter won with 53% of the votes over his opponent with 42%. Toomey and Santorum are staunch Catholic Christians, vigorously pro-life and the Commonwealth would be well served by having both in the Senate. Unfortunately, the politics at the time of the 2004 were precarious enough that a Toomey campaign against Hoeffel would not be as certain as a Specter vs. Hoeffel match, or so Rick Santorum and others believed.”

excerpt http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/abbott/061018

Even knowing this, I can understand why some conservatives still disagree with Santorum’s decision, but they should at least understand his rationale.


69 posted on 11/11/2011 9:54:27 PM PST by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MNJohnnie

We can find a few faults with every candidate, but look at the big picture:

In the House of Representatives, Santorum played a key role in exposing the House Banking Scandal. That scandal cost incumbent Republicans reelection, but Santorum was rock-solid on integrity. Santorum is, in short, just what we want: a conservative who puts principles above power.

excerpt http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/04/santorum_2012.html

“On abortion, he is one of many senators who vote pro-life. The difference is that he is personally responsible for making sure a lot of these votes occur in the first place: He was an architect of the effort to ban partial-birth abortion, a strategy that energized the pro-life movement and allowed it to go on the political offensive.”

http://www.heymiller.com/2010/08/the-fate-of-rick/

Just a couple of examples!


70 posted on 11/11/2011 10:10:21 PM PST by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Engraved-on-His-hands

Santorum, Bachmann and Cain are the only ones that I could ever support with enthusiasm.


71 posted on 11/11/2011 10:12:35 PM PST by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lazlo in PA
And can you show me where this so called Populism is? He had an 88% ACU rating even being a 2 term blue state Senator.

Also, I like that you noted his ACU ratings, but did you notice how his record tends to be a bit fluid during election years, when he seems to drift. His book, also was about as strong on economic conservatism as Huckabees ("It takes a family"). He's not a liberal, on social issues, he is absolute, but on economic issues, he tends to wander off, especially on spending.

Also, see the club for growth white paper.

http://www.clubforgrowth.org/whitepapers/?subsec=137&id=902

72 posted on 11/11/2011 10:30:45 PM PST by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: truthfreedom

W won his own state. Santorum can’t. Your analogy fails, just like good old Rooster Rick.


73 posted on 11/12/2011 4:27:34 AM PST by RayBob (If guns kill people, can I blame misspelled words on my keyboard?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: Engraved-on-His-hands
why not Santorum?

Because he's a terrible candidate, who managed to lose his incumbent Senate seat by 20 points and speaks like a whiny little boy.

He'd be terrific President, but in this country you have to get there by winning an election, and that's not gonna happen.

74 posted on 11/12/2011 4:41:56 AM PST by Jim Noble (To live peacefully with credit-based consumption and fiat money, men would have to be angels.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Engraved-on-His-hands
Because he is insecure. That's why.
75 posted on 11/12/2011 4:46:09 AM PST by Glenn (iamtheresistance.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Engraved-on-His-hands

Because Santorum is a bonefide loser


76 posted on 11/12/2011 4:54:14 AM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 ..... Crucifixion is coming)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: truthfreedom

In the beginning my top three were Bachmann, Santorum then Cain. As I became acquainted with their views, first Santorum was crossed out, then Bachmann was crossed out, leaving the man with the plan who can, Herman Cain. And it will always be Herman Cain for this lady.

With the Communist media so strongly against Herman Cain’ with the leftist RNC so solidly against him, doesn’t anyone who calls themselves Conservative understand that Conservative Herman Cain is who they fear the most? So they change the minds of those Moderates, not Conservatives decide the bald faced lies being told about Herman Cain on Free Re[public are turning to egomaniac, establishment favorite, flip flopper loose cannon, Newt Gingrich? No wonder the country is going to hell in a hand basket!

Fortunately the people voting in the straw bolls are sticking with the best man running since Ronald Reagan, Herman Cain.


77 posted on 11/12/2011 8:21:56 AM PST by Paperdoll (I like Herman Cain)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: RayBob

Santorum won PA in 2000. W lost PA in 2000.

PA is a much harder state for Rs to win than TX.


78 posted on 11/12/2011 4:11:23 PM PST by truthfreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: All; Engraved-on-His-hands

Santorum will be on Hannity’s radio today. Listen up!


79 posted on 11/14/2011 1:13:27 PM PST by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: truthfreedom

Sorry you have me confused with someone that supports the Newt


80 posted on 11/15/2011 9:59:23 AM PST by Breto (never accept the premise)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson